Chapter 1: Arrested

I look at myself in the mirror and smile at my reflection. I look cute today. My face is glowing with excitement, although I’m not sure whether that’s because of the test or what’s coming afterward: my date with Zack. Our very first date. It’s probably the latter. Even though I am a little bit anxious about the fertility test, I know the chances of me testing positive are slim, most people test negative, which means they are infertile.

That is the whole point of the Righteous Regime doing what it does after all: People are barren and we are getting extinct. Which is why everyone in Estermond at the age of 19 has to take a fertility test to see if they are barren or not. Given the low fertility rates we have, every girl who tests positive in her fertility test has to give up all of her ambitions and dedicate her life to have as many children as possible. These fertile women are known as Bearers and they are assigned to a male partner for reproductive means. Boys have it easier, they take the test too, but if they are fertile they are not forced to give up everything, they just have to accept being assigned to a woman at some point in their lives and have babies with her.

Since the chances for testing positive are really scarce, girls receive the same education and are given the same chances as everyone else from birth up to our teenage years. On our 19th birthday, we take the test, if it comes back negative we can proceed with our lives as we see fit, but if it comes back positive, we are placed under the care of the Ministry of Females and are forced to spend our lives as Bearers.

Today is my 19th birthday, which means I am taking my test. I have to admit it does makes me a little anxious, but not too much, I am aware that I’ll just probably test negative and I’m going to move on with my life as if nothing had happened.

What is really making me nervous is my date with Zack. I like him so much, he is all I can think of. He is so dreamy with his tanned skin and green eyes, I’ve had a thing for him since the first time I saw him three years ago on our trials to go into the Shark Youth Forces. Dating is forbidden before our 19th birthday, the Righteous Regime doesn’t want teenagers to get involved with each other before they know if they are fertile or not, and, as usual here in Estermond, disobeying the Regime is not an option.

Zack took his fertility test a month ago on his 19th birthday and tested negative, now it’s my turn to find out if we can finally start dating or not. Although I am not going to get my results for a couple of days, Zack thought we could might as well go out for cake and consider it a pre-date. We are not basically breaking the rules, we are just bending them a little because we can’t wait any longer. I am dying to call Zack my boyfriend, to kiss him, to hold hands, and everything else couples do.

Somebody knocks on the bathroom door.

“Aubrey, honey, you are going to be late. Come out of the bathroom,” my Grandma says from the other side of the door.

I open the door with a childish frown.

“Ten minutes of privacy, Grandma, that is all I am asking for,” I complain.

“Aubrey, you’ve been in there longer than ten minutes. You are going to be late for your test,” she reminds me. “And you can’t leave the house without having  breakfast first, you know how I feel when you skip breakfast.”

“I know, Grandma, I won’t skip any meals, I promise,” I say as I kiss her cheek.

It’s hard to be upset with such a sweet woman as Grandma Juliette.

We go down the staircase. My dad is having breakfast in the kitchen table while he stares at the morning news on the small television in the corner of the kitchen.

"I'm sorry I didn't wait for you, I was starving," dad says with his mouth full.

Grandma rolls her eyes and pokes dad's arm lovingly as she smiles at him. She hates when people talk with food in their mouths, but she loves us so much she is even affectionate when she reprimands us.

I take a seat and fix my eyes on the television.

“Yesterday night, Gordon Wallace, a well-known Eel who for months has been disrupting the order of our good society, was apprehended. We thank Commander Leopold Mortensen and his Sharks for his arrest. Their courage makes Estermond a safer place every day,” says the news anchor.

The screen shows footage of Commander Mortensen and his Unit of Sharks. I admire them so much! I think everyone in Estermond does, Leopold Mortensen is a national hero.

My dad lets out a soft groan and turns his attention away from the TV. Well, I guess not everyone loves Commander Mortensen. My dad kind of resents him and all the Sharks. When he was younger, he wanted to be one of them, he tried to get into the Shark Youth Forces, which is the first step in becoming a Shark, but he got rejected. His physical performance did not suffice to become a Shark and I think that frustrated him for life. Which in part was the reason why, when my time came at the age of 16, I applied for the Shark Youth Forces and got in. I thought my dad would be proud, but he wasn’t, he thought it to be humiliating for her daughter to fulfill his dream and he is been kind of mad at me ever since. Especially because not only did I got into the Shark Youth Forces, but also because, after 3 years of hard work, I’m about to graduate and become a real Shark from the Ministry of Bravery. Once I become a Shark I’ll become part of one of the Units in the Ministry; I know the chances of me getting into the 9th Unit, Commander Mortensen’s Unit, are almost none existent so I haven’t even given it much thought. Being part of the 9th Unit is the highest honor for a new Shark, but of course, only the elite gets in. I’d feel happy in any Unit, besides Commander Mortensen is one of the most intimidating men I have ever seen, I have never met him in person, but I have seen him from a distance and he is, in did, scary as encountering a real shark. I think it is a good thing that I have no chances of getting into his Unit.

Dad turns off the TV. News involving the Sharks upset him too much. He then looks askance at me, he resents that I’ll soon become one of them, even though he won’t admit it out loud.

“Are you excited about your test?” Grandma asks with a smile on her face as she hands me a cup of coffee.

“I guess,” I say shrugging.

“Oh, sweetie, whatever the result is, you are going to be just fine. Remember, being a Bearer is the highest honor a woman can have in Estermond,” she says with a wide smile.

Since childhood, the Righteous Regime teaches us that a positive fertility test is the most wonderful thing that can happen to a woman in Estermond, but the reality is that very few people feel that way. I personally don't know a single girl who wants to become a Bearer, although of course, none of us would dare to admit that out loud, the consequences of expressing such opinions can be very serious under the Righteous Regime.

“I know, Grandma,” I reply with a thin smile.

“My dearest Aubrey, you don’t look too excited for the test. Maybe that’s my fault, I haven’t taught you enough about the wonderful experience that is to live as a Bearer,” Grandma says. “It’s not all restrictions.”

I press my lips together. Sometimes I forget that she used to be a Bearer. Through out her youth, Grandma had to attend the Bearer Center, a place where Bearers are taught how to behave and all the rules they must follow which include not being able to eat sugar or unhealthy food, smoke, drink alcohol, and a bunch of other things. My Grandma hasn’t followed those rules for a long time, once Bearers reach menopause, they are no longer required to go to the Bearer Center and they regain some of their previous freedoms.

“I am, Grandma, and if I test positive, I would love for you to teach me everything you know,” I reply feigning enthusiasm.

“I would love that, sweetie, I know that’s supposed to be something your mother should do, but I’ll do my best,” she says with a hint of sorrow.

Dad slams his fist furiously against the table.

“I have told you a million times to never mention her again!” He shouts angrily.

“Son, I was just…”

“No, mother, I’ve talked to you about that. Never is never! That witch is not to be mention in this house!” He warns her.

I jump up from my sit as fast as I can.

“It’s getting late, I’ll see you tonight!” I shout before walking out. “I love you both!”

Once I’m out the door I let out a long sigh. I can’t bear the mention of my mother. I know Grandma meant good, but it is just too painful. Mom left when I was seven and never came back. I have no idea where, I think dad and the authorities know, a Bearer running away is not something you see every day, but if they found her, no one ever told me where she was. Dad losses his temper every time someone mentions her, so I know better than to ask for her. Her absence hurts, even after all these years, but there is not much I can do about it except to miss her in silence.

Once I feel better, I rush to the subway station. I need to get to the Ministry of Health, where I’m going to take my fertility test. For some strange reason, once I am in front of the blue building, my pulse accelerates and I get really nervous. What if I AM fertile? I have never given it much thought, but even if the chances are remote, they still exist and I could become a Bearer. Cold sweat runs down my spine as I walk into the building. I take a deep breath and try to convince myself that there is nothing to be nervous about.

In the waiting lounge, there are two other girls. I recognize one of them: Eliza Evans. She is also part of the Shark Youth Forces, although she is not in my group. I had no idea we shared birthdays. The other girl I don’t know, she is chubby and short, with curly blond hair and a face full of freckles. The girl smiles and waves at me. I wave back and take a sit on an empty chair.

“Eliza Evans?” A nurse holding a tablet comes out of an examination room.

Eliza stands up from her sit without even looking at us.

“That’s me,” she says curtly.

“Come with me, Eliza,” the nurse replies.

Eliza goes into the examination room and the door closes.

“Aubrey Campbell?” Another nurse appears.

My heart sinks to my stomach. It’s time.

“Me!” I say with a shrill voice.

“Follow me, please,” the nurse replies ignoring my nervous tone of voice.

“Good luck,” the girl with freckles says.

I smile at her and then I follow the nurse.

The test turned out to be less invasive than I expected. Unfortunately, the nurse refused to give me any indication of whether my test was positive or not, so I’m going to have to wait for the results to arrive in a couple of days.

I take a deep breath of fresh air once I step out of the Ministry of Health. The first thing I notice is Zack waiting for me leaning on his red convertible, with his arms folded across his chest and a smirk on his lips as he looks at me from a distance. I cross the street to meet him.

“You are late,” he says as soon as I get to where he is.

“I am not! The nurses were late and there’s nothing I could do about it,” I say playfully.

Zack kisses my cheek and opens the passenger door for me. His car is really nice, not many teenagers in Estermond have red convertibles, but Zack’s father is an important Urban Development Official, so his family has many perks most of us common citizens don’t have.

“Come on in, let’s begin our pre-date,” he says as he gestures for me to get in the car.

“Actually, do you mind if we walk?” I reply with a grin. “I got a little bit nervous back there and I think I could use a walk.”

Zack doesn’t seem too convinced, but he closes the passenger door.

“Whatever you wish,” he replies chivalrously.

We start walking away from the Ministry of Health through the Avenue of Justice, this district’s main street, where most Ministries are located, except for the Ministry of Bravery which is located a few blocks away because of the space needed for the training facilities.

As we walk, the back of our hands occasionally brush, sending electric waves through my arm. I can’t wait to get my results, then we are going to be free to hold hands whenever we want.

“You are never going to guess who was taking her test too,” I say to distract myself from my own thoughts.

“Who?” He says distractedly.

“Eliza Evans.”

“The girl with the dreadlocks? Ugh, I do hope she tests negative, she has such a bad temper she is not suited to be a mom,” Zack jokes.

“She is not that bad,” I say.

“You probably haven’t spent much time around her, but apparently no one in her group can stand her, she is too selfish and temperamental. No kid deserves a mom like that.”

I shrug. He is right, I don’t really know Eliza, I have just seen her from a distance.

Ahead of us, we hear a commotion and Shark sirens approaching.

“What is going on?” I ask looking around.

“Look!” Zack exclaims as he points to the Ministry of Education.

A group of rebels, known as Eels, are throwing rocks and grenades at the Ministry of Education as they shout typical Eel’s hateful lies.

“The Righteous Regime is evil!”

“The citizens are oppressed!”

“They put lies in children’s heads!”

The Eels shout frenetically as they attack the Ministry.

“Do you want to get closer?” Zack asks me with a smirk.

I hesitate for a second. It could be dangerous, but we are training to become Sharks, we shouldn’t be afraid of Eels.

“Yes,” I reply and we both rush to where the Eels are.

We stand across the street from them as we watch them with disdain. Eels are so despicable, they disturb our peace and try to destroy our society. If it weren’t for them, we would live peacefully and safely. The Shark sirens are getting closer, soon enough a Unit of Sharks will arrive and detain all these despicable rebels.

Suddenly, my heart sinks to my stomach. One of the Eel’s black curly hair catches my attention. It catches it because I have the same black curly hair… looking at her back I could even think it was me in front of the Ministry of Education throwing rocks and explosives. We are so much alike, only her worn-out clothes differentiate us. I’m wearing my Shark Youth Forces black uniform, she is wearing no uniform because she belongs to no Ministry, she is a rebel. I can’t stop watching that woman, I feel like there is something connecting me to her, and then she turns around and I see her face.

“Mom?” I say with a trembling voice.

“What?” Asks Zack beside me narrowing his eyes. “What did you say?”

I do believe he didn’t hear me due to the explosions and shouting, the racket around us makes it even hard to hear our own thoughts.

I take a step forward. That’s my mom right there… but… why is she acting like an Eel? I gasp. Is she an Eel? Is that why she abandoned me? Suddenly, I stop hearing the noise around me. I keep walking towards my mom like I’m hypnotized. I am vaguely aware that Zack is calling my name behind me, but I ignore him. My mom is all that matters right now.

I keep walking until I reach her across the street. The Eels around her keep tossing things and shouting.

“Death to the Righteous Regime!” Shouts my mom.

“Mom?” I say once I am standing next to her.

My mom turns around, at first, she doesn’t recognize me, but then her eyes widen with surprise.

“Aubrey?” She asks, perplexed.

I hold out my hand and she takes it. Her touch makes her real and I draw my breath in. She is here, she is not a ghost. After all these years…

Suddenly, my mom falls to the ground. Life escapes her eyes as she falls… she has been shot in the head.

I don’t even have time to scream. Someone knocks me to the ground.

“Don’t you dare move! Stay on the ground and do as I say!” A man shouts as he presses me against the pavement.

My eyes are fixed on my mom, but she is not there anymore, only her body.

“What were you doing with that Eel? Were you helping her? Are you in the Shark Youth Forces or did you steal the uniform?” The man inquires.

He takes my chin and forces me to face him.

“Answer me!” He orders me but I have no words to say. I am in shock and I have forgotten how to talk.

I think I recognize this man, he is Lieutenant Jareth Jordan, Commander Mortensen number two guy. This means the 9th Unit was sent to suppress the Eels… and they think I was helping them.